


Friendly Competition

by psychicfiredemoness



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Established Relationship, GoldMetal Shipping, M/M, Relationship Reveal, Secret Relationship, Sexual Content, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:35:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29215797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychicfiredemoness/pseuds/psychicfiredemoness
Summary: After the Galarian Star Tournament there is the All-Regions Battle Conference, a friendly competition for trainers from every region to test their mettle against peers and new rivals. Never did Leon think he would be facing his lover on the pitch. What's the worst that could happen?A little two-shot that will get smutty in the second part.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Tsuwabuki Daigo | Steven Stone
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Friendly Competition

**Author's Note:**

> A little fic for my very good friend Nia. :3 Hope you all enjoy.

Leon’s leg bounced along as he waited in the locker room for his match. It felt like it had been years instead of only a few months since he had been there, wearing his famous Champion’s uniform, and waiting to face down an opponent. Though he remembered the thrill of battling for the crowd, the sensation seemed almost foreign now. Though his attire disputed the claim, he was no longer Galar’s Champion. As Chairman he had the luxury and resources to make something truly spectacular.

The Galarian Star Tournament had only been Phase One. After the stunning success of the two-man battle system, the Pokémon League Committee had given him the green light to move on to a much more ambitious project.

The All-Regions Battle Conference was a chance to invite Gym Leaders and powerful trainers from other regions for a series of friendly sparring matches. After the damage Rose had done to Galar’s people and the way he had alienated the other regions during his time as Chairman it was time to start making amends. And what better way was there then a sporting Pokémon battle?

The rules were simple enough. Competitors would be chosen at random and put into a single bracket for competing, not totally unlike their standard tournaments. Each competitor would have only two minutes to take down their opponent in a one-on-one battle. With the caliber of trainer that the Conference was expected to attract a two-minute takedown would be no easy feat, a strategy he had pushed heavily on the League Committee when he found resistance. The hope was that without a clear winner there would be no bad blood stirred up between the competitors’ respective regions, maybe a healthy rivalry would begin, and it would be all the more reason to train hard and come back to participate in further matches.

The room quaked and shuddered around him; someone had just Dynamaxed their pokémon, he was certain. Not a moment later Leon could hear the frantic screams of excited fans coming all the way down the corridor to the pitch. It sounded like his plan was working out nicely.

Before long the locker room opened up and a League staffer poked her head into the room. “Chairman, are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Leon laughed and stood, feeling his legs shake just a little. It wasn’t nerves, not in the usual sense, but rather _who_ he was about to go up against.

Never in a million years did he think Steven would actually participate, well, not willingly. Leon knew only too well how much the Champion title bothered his boyfriend and wanted to relinquish it. This coupled with the constant pressures from both Devon Corp and his father, Steven ran rather ragged behind that carefree smile of his. While he rarely spoke on such things Leon knew how heavily they weighed on the man. He wanted nothing more than to scoop Steven into his arms and kiss those troubles away. Instead, Leon was about face him in front of a packed stadium and Arceus knew how many television cameras broadcasting well beyond Galar.

Leon made his way out of the locker room and down the corridor until he reached the bright lights of the pitch. He was greeted with a roar of applause and screams of his name, declarations of adoration shouted from his fans, and in the crowd he could see the handmade banner that Hop and Sonia were waving over their heads in support. Across the pitch stood Steven, that smile lighting up the stadium in a way the bright fluorescent lights could never hope to match.

A deep breath steadied the fluttering of Leon’s heart before he struck his signature pose and sent his opponent– because that’s all Steven could be too him right now –a cheeky grin. “Are you ready for a Champion Time!” His challenge boomed across the stadium and he fought the blush trying to creep across his skin; the last time he had asked Steven this the circumstances were _much_ different.

“I’m looking forward to it!” Steven declared with a hand on his hip, the other extended out towards Leon as if to reach for him.

Was Steven flirting with him with that seductive pose? Should Leon flirt back? Would it be too obvious if he did? Should he rush across the pitch and draw Steven up into his arms for a kiss and throw away all sense of propriety–

His thoughts were cut mercifully short by the referee. “What a treat we have for our last match! Our very own Chairman and beloved former Champion, Leon, squaring off against the Hoenn’s current Champion, Steven!” They informed an already restless crowd. Leon could feel their excitement as their cheers grew to a fever pitch; he couldn’t imagine how they would react once the battle got underway.

“I can tell you that two minutes won’t be nearly long enough but let’s get this match underway! Begin!”

At once Charizard and Metagross materialized on the pitch before their trainers. They had looked ready for a fight, but once they had seen who it was that they were up against the Pokémon shifted uneasily, both glancing back at their partners, unsure or perhaps unwilling to fight.

“Hey, hey,” Leon soothed his partner. At one point Charizard would have been more than a little pleased for this opportunity, though Leon couldn’t swear it was Steven’s Metagross that Charizard would have attacked. “It’s just a friendly match.”

Charizard snorted in response and looked out towards Steven and his partner; the silver-variant Metagross was just as hesitant to attack and Leon could see Steven giving the Steel-type a pep talk of his own.

“What’s this!” The referee shouted as the stalemate continued. “Could it be that both pokémon are sizing each other up? It’s good to be cautious but the clock is ticking away! Who will make the first move!”

“Charizard, please!” Leon whispered with urgency when he glanced at the timer displayed on the stadium wall. “It’s just like every other battle.” Charizard gave another grunt and a little shake of his head. “I’ll give you an entire bag of those treats you like if you just–”

The bribe wasn’t even fully out of his mouth when Charizard turned and gave a mighty roar to challenge their opponents. Metagross turned to them and took a defensive posture.

Leon cheered as their partners turned serious. “Alright! Charizard, use Flamethrower!”

The eruption of flame was barely leaving Charizard’s mouth when Steven shouted his command. “Metagross, use Psychic!”

The fire stopped only feet from Metagross’ face, redirected and spewed across the stadium every which way under the psychokinetic deflection. Before the flames had fizzled out Steven was giving his next attack.

“Meteor Mash!”

“Dodge it, Charizard!”

His partner flew high into the air, Metagross’ powerful charge veering to the side as it missed its mark. Leon felt the hum of energy from his Dynamax band and was tempted to activate it. He wouldn’t call it an advantage exactly, but he didn’t think it would be fair either. While he had been present for the event he barely remembered when Rose had declared a permanent ban against both Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions in any form of Galar’s battles, even friendly ones. The Mega Stone wrapped around Metagross’ arm twinkled uselessly as its velocity slowed. No, he wouldn’t do that to Steven or his partner.

“Use Inferno!”

Charizard dove down and released a searing jet of flame from his mouth. Fire quickly engulfed Metagross as Steven urged his partner to withstand the attack. Charizard continued to unleash his attack as he flew closer.

“Now, use Psychic!” Steven commanded once Charizard was close enough.

At once Charizard was wrapped in a shimmering blue glow, nearly invisible to the naked eye. Before Leon could order his friend to fight the attack, Charizard was slammed to the ground with devastating force, the flames sputtering out around Metagross. The Steel-type’s shine wasn’t so noticeable now, its body shaking as it endured its burns, but it was still far from defeated. Steven was already ordering his next attack while Charizard was climbing to his feet, head drawn back and ready to fire.

“Flash Cannon!”

“Flamethrower!”

A brilliant beam of light and a scorching column of flame erupted from either side of the pitch. The attacks collided with a blinding explosion of heat and noise that shook the stadium nearly as much as any Gigantamax battle. When the dust settled the buzzer screamed. It was over, just like that.

The grin nearly split Leon’s face. The battle may have been short but it had been every bit of the fun he had hoped for when he had first pitched the idea of the ARBC. Judging from the screams of the crowd they had been enjoying the battle just as much, or nearly; he would be hard pressed to find something as exhilarating as this, basking in his lover’s battle skills while showing off his own.

He recalled Charizard for a well-earned rest and started crossing the pitch. When he and Steven met in the center of the pitch, he forgot himself, forgot the cheers of the fans, forgot the customary handshake, and forgot the secrets he and Steven shared. For a split moment they were alone under the bright lights, fire pulsing in his veins as he met with the love of his life after glorious competition. Without a thought he scooped Steven into his arms and kissed him.

It was the silence that brought reality crashing in. The sudden, deafening silence of tens of thousands of fans as they all bore witness to the truth.

Leon pulled away, only vaguely aware of Steven’s arms dropping away from around his neck. A blush rapidly spread over his face and he pulled his hat down to hide his embarrassment at such a foolish blunder. Years they had gone without letting on, years of closed-door liaisons and stolen kisses and agonizing months spent without seeing each other so as not to arouse the suspicion or the ire of their respective Leagues. Fraternizing, the committees would scold before pushing a clear line of professional distance that neither would be allowed to cross. He had ruined all of it in his excitement.

The entire stadium exploded into a roar of cheers that made their enthusiasm for the match pale in comparison. Among the cacophony of noise one word became utterly clear until it was echoed across the crowds in a fervor.

_Kiss_.

Steven let out a little laugh, his face scarlet. “Who are we to disappoint your fans?”

“I think you mean ours,” Leon corrected with a grin. “I know _I’m_ a fan of yours. Your number one fan I’d wager.”

He smiled and slipped his fingers over Steven’s cheek, reveling in the soft warm of his skin. Leon bowed his head and pressed another kiss to Steven’s mouth, the brim of his cap bumping Steven’s forehead. Without a thought he tugged off his hat and brought it down on Steven’s head without breaking away, never wanting to again. It was fitting that Steven should wear his crown, after all he was the one that ruled Leon’s heart.


End file.
